Memento Mori
by JPx
Summary: Harry's journey to find and destroy the horocruxes. Is this Harry's final year, or Voldemort's? Who will live, and who will remember their own mortality the hard way? Mainstream at the request of my love, so HG RHr.


"Our time has come!" His voice echoed through the stone chamber and reverberated slightly off of the rocks. The atmosphere in the room felt like a rally, but no one was yelling encouragements. Fear engulfed the men and women draped in black, surrounding the one who was yelling, the only one not hidden behind a mask and hood…the leader.

"No one can stop us!" His face broke out in an uncharacteristic grin. The followers closest to him could not suppress their shudders.

His maniacal gaze fell on one of the trembling. His grin faded as he approached the man. Thin white spider like fingers rose to stroke the side of the man's white mask. "You fear me, Nott?" He asked in a calm voice. "You do well to fear me. I am now the strongest wizard on this planet."

His hand retreated quickly and his voice grew louder as he said, "And do not think I have forgotten the man who helped me achieve such a lofty goal! He will be remembered forever as the one who helped me take my rightful place as a leader of this world. The only one besides me who has seen Dumbledore's weaknesses and used them against him. Severus…step forward."

A man dressed like the rest did so. He, unlike some of the others, did not tremble before the man in front of him.

"I never forget those who have served me so well," the man said, as he grabbed the follower's wrist and jerked his arm up. Snape allowed his left arm to come up without resistance. "They will always receive their just rewards," the bald leader said, as he began to roll the other man's robe up his forearm.

His thin forefinger began stroking a black tattoo of a skull with a vile snake protruding from its mouth. "Yes, Severus, you have indeed done well," he said, before driving his fingernail through the skin. His nail went straight down into the empty eye socket of the skull; Severus yelped and fell to his knees careful not to move his arm.

The snake-like man began speaking in a language unfamiliar to everyone in the room. They each had heard it before, but never knew what the hisses and spitting noises meant. A massive snake uncurled itself and began slithering toward the man speaking the snake language. Its middle began to expand like it had recently fed on something, not overly large in comparison to its size, but noticeable.

"Lord Voldemort, please!" Snape exclaimed, but Voldemort's finger did not leave his arm. Instead, he began to chant in the snake language. The massive reptile on the floor started bobbing its head, almost like it understood what must be done. The lump in its middle began to move and travel through it, expanding the snake as the lump moved towards the creature's head. The snake snapped its jaw open as if it were feeding; something began to slide out of its mouth. Slowly, what looked like a ball of slithery and slimy yarn came out of the snake's mouth. It slithered back to its corner, as Voldemort kept his chanting alive and wild. The ball the snake had spat out began to wiggle and unfold itself. It was black with blue diamonds visible ever so often along it. Another head came into view, its eyes piercing red just like the man with his finger in his servant's arm. The snake had regurgitated another snake.

Voldemort's free hand reached down and picked the snake up. Red eyes peered into red eyes. Almost…lovingly. 

Finally, he withdrew his finger from Snape's forearm, but he did not loosen his grip and the man's wrist. Instead, his other hand crossed between them and urged the small black snake to the open wound. The deadly snake started to worm and burrow itself into the man's arm. Inch by inch it slithered into the finger-sized hole, until finally the tail disappeared. Voldemort pressed his thumb now on the wound and said more words in the snake language. When he was done he stepped backwards.

The wound was healed. Snape began gripping at his forearm, up to his bicep, his shoulder, across his chest, until he was in a fetal position with both hands clutching around the middle of his chest. He was yelling, weeping, crying for help.

Voldemort watched with morbid fascination as the cries subsided minutes later. The only noise now was Snape's heavy breathing.

"You have just witnessed Severus becoming stronger than all of you," Voldemort said in a cold voice to the crowd.


End file.
